Foundations
by apracot
Summary: Based on the song "Foundations" by Kate Nash. Emily is in a bad relationship, and the team, Hotch in particular, try and help her in whatever way they can.


So this story is based on the song "Foundations" by Kate Nash (as the title would suggest) and it's basically about Emily being in a bad relationship, and the team (particularly Hotch) helping her in whatever ways they can.  
_

_Thursday night, everything's fine,  
except you've got that look in your eye  
when I'm tellin' a story and you find it boring,  
you're thinking of something to say.  
You'll go along with it then drop it  
and humiliate me in front of our friends._

"So Emily, got any more wild childhood tales you want to share?" A slightly intoxicated Garcia giggled, as the team sat around a table in a quiet bar on a Thursday night, having just gotten back from a bad case in Minnesota, involving six kids who were abducted and murdered.

"Yea princess, anymore famous run ins, while you were running away?" Morgan laughed, as he took another sip of his beer.

"Pfft, you know I do." Emily replied with a smile, as she raked her brain trying to think of an equally shocking tale to tell the team.

No one thought she'd be able to top her story about the time when she was seven and she'd run away from her parents while at a function at the white house, and had ended up spending the evening chilling with the president... though they hadn't heard the half of her wild childhood yet.

"Why don't you tell them about Rome!" Emily's boyfriend of over a year, Allen, suddenly said from the seat beside her, his words coming out as a slight slur due to the volume of alcohol he'd consumed since he'd met the team at the bar for drinks.

Once he spoke there was an awkward silence around the table, everyone knowing some way or another more or less what had happened in Rome, all of them knowing that it wasn't the kind of thing you'd talk about.

_Then I'll use that voice that you find annoyin'  
and say something like  
"yeah, intelligent input, darlin',  
why don't you just have another beer then?"_

Emily took a deep breath in... she wasn't going to let the fact that her boyfriends was drunk, in fact almost passed out drunk, ruin her evening.

"Wow Allen that was really intelligent input wasn't it." Emily bit back sarcastically, trying to avoid eye contact with the rest of the team.

She knew they could pick up on the tension and she didn't want them to see the prominent emotion that was swimming in her eyes at the moment... anger and fear... anger that he'd brought the topic up, and fear for how he'd react to what she'd just said.

_Then you'll call me a bitch  
and everyone we're with will be embarrassed,  
and I won't give a shit._

"Shut up, bitch, at least I wasn't dumb enough to get myse..." Allen started again, his words barely making it out in the right order.

"Another word and I will shoot you on the spot." Hotch growled suddenly, shocking the team and Emily with his sudden protectiveness.

There was a moment of silence around the table then, the team looking between both men, waiting for one of them to make the first move, all of the men ready to jump to Hotch's defence if need be, and all of the women ready to comfort Emily if things got out of hand between her boyfriend and one of her best friends.

"Whatever man, I got to pee." Allen laughed after a long pause, getting up and almost falling again, as he tried to focus his eyes on the flashing light above the bathroom doors.

"Em, are you ok?" Reid asked the second Allen had staggered away, using everything in his path as support.

"You know what, I really couldn't give a shit." Emily replied, sighing loudly in an attempt to stop the tears that were threatening to spill, and blow her cool and calm cover story.

_My fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation,  
and I know that I should let go,  
but I can't.  
And every time we fight I know it's not right,  
every time that you're upset and I smile.  
I know I should forget, but I can't._

"You can talk to us you know... we're here for you." JJ reminded her friend, reaching out and patting Emily's shoulder gently, causing Emily to flinch ever so slightly... in fact it was so slightly she didn't even think anyone noticed.

"It's really nothing." Emily reassured the group, who were all looking at her. "We're just going through a rough patch, every relationship does, but we're holding on." She reassured them.

"But he called you a Bitch Em, there's no excuse for that." Rossi told her, not looking the least bit convinced by her lie. "Even during the rough patches I went through with my wives, and believe me there were a few, I never even considered calling one of them that." He informed her.

"Well we have the odd fight, but it's nothing bad, I swear." Emily reassured the team again, even dazzling them with a smile as if to prove her point that she was indeed happy.

Truth was that they had more than a few fights, and it was a bit worse than bad, but she couldn't tell them, even though they were her family, and even though she knew it wasn't right, she couldn't tell them, because she was a tough FBI agent, she wouldn't let a man push her about, would she?

Slowly the team disbanded one by one, each knowing they had work tomorrow, until it was only Hotch and Emily left waiting for a cab, as Allen had decided to stay... surprise, surprise.

"You know I saw you flinch." Hotch whispered as a cab slowed to a stop in front of them.

"Don't Hotch, just don't please." Emily whispered in return as she stepped into the cab, not physically or mentally able to tackle that issue tonight.

"Ok, but you know my door is always open, day or night, no matter how late or how early." Hotch replied, before stepping into the cab after Emily, not saying another word about it the whole way back to Emily's apartment.

_You said I must eat so many lemons  
'cause I am so bitter.  
I said  
"I'd rather be with your friends mate  
'cause they are much fitter."_

Two hours later Emily lay curled up on her couch, watching the end of a movie she'd recorded before she'd left on the case, when she heard the scrapping of a key against the door.

She smiled to herself as she listened to the swearing as Allen tried repeatedly to open the door, taking at least fifteen attempts before he finally came stumbling into the apartment, his eyes barely open.

"Ya cud v h-helped me ya noo." Allen slurred, glaring at Emily as he leant on the couch trying to keep upright.

"I was watching a movie, and didn't hear you come in." Emily lied calmly, knowing that it wasn't the best idea to anger him.

"Pfft... liar!" Allen shot back. "You're bitter! Ha, ha, yea you're bitter... like a lemon! Bitter n-n-nd angry 'coz your silly little friends n-know your secret!" He laughed.

"Allen they're not my "silly little friends" they're my family, and they already knew my secret." Emily replied, taking deep breaths to stay calm.

"They ar-r-re silly!" Allen responded, looking angry now that Emily was speaking up against him.

"Well if you say so, but I'd much rather be spending time with them than with you!" Emily murmured, realising once she'd spoke that she shouldn't have.

_Yes, it was childish and you got aggressive,  
and I must admit that I was a bit scared,  
but it gives me thrills to wind you up._

Before she had a chance to defend herself she felt Allen's muscular body land on top of her, knocking her onto the floor and causing her to bash her shoulder against the coffee table as she fell.

"A-a-a-Allen" Emily gasped, as the air was knocked from her lungs upon impact with the hard, cold wooden floor. "I can't... I can't... my neck... can't breathe!" She spluttered, trying to claw his arm away from its resting spot on her neck, subsequently cutting off her oxygen supply.

Allen quickly leapt off Emily and took two large steps away from her, letting Emily catch her breath and scramble to her feet as well.

Still clutching her throat, Emily staggered away, a look of fear glinting in her eyes as she gave Allen a cold hard stare.

He'd never been his violent before, and normally Emily got a secret thrill out of winding him up, because it's the only thing she could do, he was stronger, but she could aggravate him, but now... this time, she was scared, and down on that floor she'd been scared for her life.

_My fingertips are holding on to the cracks in our foundation,  
and I know that I should let go,  
but I can't.  
And every time we fight I know it's not right,  
every time that you're upset and I smile.  
I know I should forget, but I can't._

"Emily babe, I'm sorry." Allen pleaded after a moment, the realisation of what he'd done having sobered him up ever so slightly, as he reached out his hand and grasping the tips of Emily's fingers, trying to pull her closer to him.

"You almost fucking killed me Allen!" Emily almost shouted, sounding shell shocked as she spoke.

"Yea baby, and I know that wasn't right... and I honestly am sorry, but how about we just forget about it? Move on?" Allen asked, a hopeful look in his eye.

The look if hope in his eye was mixed with another look, and it was this other look that worried Emily... it was a look that told her, even though his last sentence had sounded like a pleading request, Allen wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Sure." Emily replied, even managing to feign a happy smile.

_Your face is pasty 'cause you've gone and got so wasted,  
what a surprise.  
Don't want to look at your face 'cause it's makin' me sick.  
You've gone and got sick on my trainers,  
I only got these yesterday.  
Oh, my gosh, I cannot be bothered with this._

"Look I'm going to bed now." Emily told Allen after a moment of tense and awkward silence, both of them trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"I like the sound of that." Allen replied suggestively, in what Emily presumed was meant to be a sexy voice, but due to the alcohol only came out as a slur.

Emily sighed and resisted the urge to look away. She really couldn't look at his face now, the very thought of what he'd just done, and how he'd then asked her to just forget it, was making her feel physically sick, so the chances of him getting any were nil.

"Look, I'm actually thinking of just going to bed to sleep." Emily informed him. "Beside's you're pretty wasted, maybe you should just sleep this one off." She added in a hopeful tone.

"Aw, come on Em... I'm not that bad!" Allen begged her, having to put a great deal of thought into his words for them to sound like relative English.

"Allen, the last time you were this drunk you threw up on my new jogging shoes." Emily reminded him, not expecting him to remember due to the sheer volume of alcohol he'd consumed that night.

Before Allen had a chance to reply Emily turned and headed to the bedroom, locking the door once she was inside.

"I can't be bothered with this." She whispered to herself, as she dropped her head to rest it in her hands, only to find that her neck now hurt when she moved it. "Bloody great." She sighed moving her head back up to a comfortable position.

_Well, I'll leave you there 'till the mornin',  
and I purposely won't turn the heating on  
and dear God, I hope I'm not stuck with this one._

She waited in silence, leaning against the door trying not to move her throbbing neck, until the sound of Allen's snores could be heard ringing through the apartment, like a construction site outside the bedroom door.

It was only when she was sure that he couldn't be woken from his alcohol induced slumber that she rose slowly from the floor, and after moving around the room slowly and carefully, putting a few things in a bag and loosely tying a scarf around her neck to hide the bruising, she crept out of the room and tip toed towards the door.

She stopped briefly, looking at the heating switch that was placed beside the door. She knew she should turn it on, as her apartment became like a freezer at night, but despite the facade she put on, she was furious at Allen, so she walked out the door quickly, purposely not turning the heating on so he'd wake up cold... her form of revenge.

It was well past one in the morning, probably nearer to two at this stage, and she really didn't know where she would go... JJ had a one and a half year old son who was probably sleeping, and Garcia lived on the other side of town.

It was then that the conversation she'd had with Hotch earlier sprung to mind, and she hopped into her car, driving the short distance to her boss and close friends house.

_My fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation,  
and I know that I should let go,  
but I can't.  
And every time we fight I know it's not right,  
every time that you're upset and I smile.  
I know I should forget, but I can't._

Hotch was sitting at his kitchen table, signing his name on his last report of the night, ready to head to bed for his much deserved six hours sleep before Jack would be up, when he heard a quiet knocking on his door.

At first he ignored it, thinking it was his imagination, but after a few more knocks he could have sworn he head a quiet voice calling his name softly through the door... in fact, he knew that voice from somewhere?

He rose quickly from his chair, recognising the voice quickly, and realising that a call at this hour would not mean anything good.

"Emily!" Hotch exclaimed once he'd disabled his alarm and swung his door open to reveal a weary looking Emily. "What are you doing here at this hour... are you ok? Where's Allen?" He asked her all at once.

"I'm fine." Emily answered quickly, though Hotch could tell from the look in her eye that she was lying. "And Allen's at home... passed out."She confessed quietly.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Hotch asked again, wishing that she'd tell him what had happened. "Are you hurt?" He pressed, vowing that if she was that he'd personally rip Allen's head off.

"Really I'm ok... I just need somewhere to spend the night." Emily lied again, as she toyed with the corner of her scarf, an action that Hotch didn't miss.

"Emily why are you wearing a scarf... It's August... it's warm out." Hotch asked her, already having a fair idea of what her reasoning was.

"Please Hotch; please don't make me tell you." Emily whispered, sounding venerable and scared for the first time since she'd gotten to his apartment.

"Then show me Emily, just show me." Hotch pleaded, as he stepped closer to her and once he was sure she wouldn't lash out, he began unwinding the scarf from her neck, pausing only once when his hand made contact with her skin and she winced in pain.

The site that greeted Hotch was not a pretty one. A deep black and purple bruise ran from one side of her neck to the other, contrasting harshly with her porcelain skin, and the skin that was shown off on her shoulder from her wide necked top she was wearing, also revealed a purple bruise and a dried blood stain, from her crack against the coffee table.

"I'm sorry." Emily whispered, tears glistening in her eye, when she saw the look of rage and horror on Hotch's face. "It was just a fight... and it got out of hand is all." She tried to convince him.

"Yea, but I bet he didn't come out of the fight with cuts and bruises." Hotch snarled, physically feeling the urge to punch a wall when he seen what this man had been doing to his best friend. "Emily, you know this isn't right... don't you?" He questioned once he'd calmed down enough to speak again.

"I know... every time we fight, I know it's not right, but I can't let go... I'm scared to." Emily confessed, as tears streamed down her face, bringing her mascara from earlier on with them.

_And every time we fight I know it's not right,  
every time that you're upset and I smile.  
I know I should forget, but I can't._

It was then that Hotch done the only thing that felt natural at that moment... he carefully wrapped his arms around Emily, and being careful not to touch her bruising, he pulled her close to his chest, letting her wrap her arms around him in return and lean on him, as he planted soft kisses into her hairline.

"I'd like to go to bed now." Emily whispered after a while, as she pulled away from Hotch's warm embrace and looked him in the eye, trying to wipe the mascara and dried in tears from her face.

"Sure, you can take my room... I'll take the couch." Hotch informed her, giving her a small smile.

There was a brief silence, as Emily chewed at her lip and picked her nails, obviously contemplating asking Hotch a question.

"Something on your mind?" Hotch asked after a while, seeing that she wasn't going to speak up off her own accord.

"No... I was um, just... never mind." Emily sighed, turning to pick up her bag of clothes, which she'd dropped at the door.

"No Emily tell me, what is it?" Hotch questioned after her, thinking it was something else about Allen.

"Well... I was just uh... I just don't want to be alone tonight." Emily whispered finally, looking back at Hotch as she spoke, giving the profiler a glimpse at the fear that was evident in her eye.

"Of course." Hotch replied, giving Emily another rare smile.

~.~.~.~.~.~

As they lay in Hotch's bed that night, Emily lying with her head on Hotch's shoulder and her arms on his t-shirt clad chest, and Hotch lying with one arm wrapped firmly around Emily's waist and the other placed on top of the hand she had placed above his heart, Hotch finally plucked up the courage to ask the question he really wasn't sure he wanted to hear an answer too.

"Are you going back?" He whispered, his body subconsciously tensing up in anticipation of her answer.

"I don't know." Came her quiet response after a pause. "I love him... so probably." She added after some thought.

"But I love you... why not stay here?" Hotch blurted out without thinking... anything to get Emily away from that man.

"Aw, I love you too Hotch." Emily replied, the smile audible in her voice. "You know outside work you are the sweetest guy I know." She added, placing a kiss on his chest.

Hotch lay in silence rather than reply. She thought he'd been joking, when in actual fact he was madly in love with the woman beside him, and even though he didn't want her to go back, he wouldn't stop her, because as long as she keep running to him when things went bad, he knew there was a chance that one day, she would leave Allen for good, and then one day she'd love him back... and leave her abusive life behind.  
_

There... well yea, I really love this song, and it wasn't meant to be as angst ridden as it was, but the lyrics prompted me to go down the angst road... so, tell me what you thought, and thanks for reading. =)


End file.
